In trapezoid $ABCD$ with $\overline{BC}\parallel\overline{AD}$, let $BC = 1000$ and $AD = 2008$. Let $\angle A = 37^\circ$, $\angle D = 53^\circ$, and $M$ and $N$ be the midpoints of $\overline{BC}$ and $\overline{AD}$, respectively. Find the length $MN$.

Answer: Extend $\overline{AB}$ and $\overline{CD}$ to meet at a point $E$. Then $\angle AED = 180 - 53 - 37 = 90^{\circ}$.
[asy] size(220); defaultpen(0.7+fontsize(10)); real f=100, r=1004/f; pair A=(0,0), D=(2*r, 0), N=(r,0), E=N+r*expi(74*pi/180); pair B=(126*A+125*E)/251, C=(126*D + 125*E)/251; pair[] M = intersectionpoints(N--E,B--C); draw(A--B--C--D--cycle);  draw(B--E--C,dashed); draw(M[0]--N); draw(N--E,dashed); draw(rightanglemark(D,E,A,2)); picture p = new picture;  draw(p,Circle(N,r),dashed+linewidth(0.5)); clip(p,A--D--D+(0,20)--A+(0,20)--cycle); add(p); label("\(A\)",A,SW); label("\(B\)",B,NW); label("\(C\)",C,NE); label("\(D\)",D,SE); label("\(E\)",E,NE); label("\(M\)",M[0],SW); label("\(N\)",N,S); label("\(1004\)",(N+D)/2,S); label("\(500\)",(M[0]+C)/2,S); [/asy]
As $\angle AED = 90^{\circ}$, note that the midpoint of $\overline{AD}$, $N$, is the center of the circumcircle of $\triangle AED$. We can do the same with the circumcircle about $\triangle BEC$ and $M$ (or we could apply the homothety to find $ME$ in terms of $NE$). It follows that
\[NE = ND = \frac {AD}{2} = 1004, \quad ME = MC = \frac {BC}{2} = 500.\]
Thus $MN = NE - ME = \boxed{504}$.
For purposes of rigor we will show that $E,M,N$ are collinear. Since $\overline{BC} \parallel \overline{AD}$, then $BC$ and $AD$ are homothetic with respect to point $E$ by a ratio of $\frac{BC}{AD} = \frac{125}{251}$. Since the homothety carries the midpoint of $\overline{BC}$, $M$, to the midpoint of $\overline{AD}$, which is $N$, then $E,M,N$ are collinear.